to entertain, inform & inspire
Artist to artist, I have the great pleasure of staying with my friend Hervé Boitel, next time I will be painting. An idyllic setting in a deep and wooded valley at Cassanis, Gaillacois Tarn in S W France, eating and drinking well together wide ranging conversations with my widely read intellectual, poetic friend, his family … Read more
Toulouse, lunch with Lily. I’ve written a bit more on my other blog and with other photos and on one of my two Facebook pages : https://artfrickers.com/blog/2020/06/24/toulouse-france/ I have to collect a major painting, on loan to Chateau de Saurs and have a variety of other ‘business’ and good friends to visit, in this region where … Read more
‘Plymouth, The Mayflower’, painting progress. How may differences can you see between the graphite drawing made on an A 2 sheet of paper and the painting on a canvas 61 x 91 cm [24″ x 26″] as The Mayflower on the full sizes canvas is evolving? Even now it’s not 100 % spot on, near … Read more
Drake and slavery
Knocking down statues has become the ‘in’ thing among part of our population.
Now- Wow we have a proposal to knock off Sir Francis Drake, remove his statue from Plymouth Hoe.
If you disagree I suggest you sign the petition to keep the statue on site in place.
https://www.change.org/p/1000-save-drake-statue/psf/promote_or_share
We might as well knock down the Pyramids as they were allegedly built by slave labour.
Such vandalism would be bad for tourism !
Robin Knox-Johnston, an inspiring sailor, a real man, a role model, a film worth watching? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdIIYr1GdIs&feature=emb_share.
I feel honoured to have been commissioned to make #paintings 3 times, “Roaring Forties“, “The Clipper Way” and “Dumra departing Bombay“.
I produced prints for the first two paintings made for Sir Robin #Knox–#Johnston which we both signed [a few copies are still available], and I am proud to be considered one of his friends.
“Roaring Forties” subsequently is and continues to be reproduced in journals world wide and is a proven influential painting.
Robin still is a considerable influence and benefit for many lives, mine included.
Some years ago Robin and I were discussing our roles in life.
Via Facebook, my cousin Valerie sent me a splendid photo of herself with her twin sisters [two sets of twins]. Val tells me they got together for the first time in 30 years, had a sing song and found they still harmonies perfectly; I’m sorry I missed that! Also via Val I’m back in touch … Read more
Edwin who leaves a fine wife Sue, who has lost her best friend, grew into a real English gentleman, hard working, clever, popular, with all the qualities mentioned in the Rudyard Kipling poem ‘If’ and that despite moving to Canada where he achieved most of his aims in his business life.
I first met Edwin as far back as 1967 during my Bexhill Sailing Club years including when I lived at beautiful Rye.
Over the years we kept in touch steadily becoming better and better friends.
It was my privilege and honour to be one of those advising and comforting him during a grim divorce he truly did not deserve.
I was further fortunate to be able to host him at Gaillac, and his lovely new wife Sue when they last visited France, beautiful shared companionship.
I keep a framed copy of this photo in my home.